


Crashing Slowly

by PFDiva



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: AKA this fic is a dream, F/F, M/M, Multi, Sasha and Tim get a brief mention but they aren't present enough to tag, dream fic, hence why it's weird, the ladies are a bit backgrounded for this, the pairings are also pretty backgrounded for this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 19:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20431328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PFDiva/pseuds/PFDiva
Summary: A day in the Magnus Archives.





	Crashing Slowly

**Author's Note:**

> This is a dream fic with a lot of perspective changing, so keep your eye on the prize--thanks to my lovely beta, Kallya, but I touched this last, so all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Title is from Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae

He becomes aware of hands on his shoulders and the fact that his head is on his folded arms, as if he's just awoken from falling asleep at his desk. When he twists to see who is touching him, it turns out to be Elias behind him, putting a blanket around his shoulders.

"What are you doing here?" he gruffly demands, knowing that he is Jon right now, even though he isn't actually Jon, and Elias isn't really like this. He knows, with the suddenness of dreams, that this isn't the first time Elias has done something like this. There is a Martin-shaped hole in this dream, and Elias fills it, sharp and faintly disapproving where Martin would be soft and uncertain, both of them equally concerned with Jon's physical and mental well-being.

Elias's actions today are, like Martin's ministrations on Jon's behalf, common enough to be faintly appreciated, even if appreciating the solicitude annoys the him that is playing Jon, resulting in an agitated, "Did you need something?"

"You need to take better care of yourself, Archivist," Elias sighs, coming around the front of the desk and gesturing at a steaming mug of tea. "I've brought you tea."

He grumbles a thankyou as he fumbles with the blanket a moment. It is warm and he wants to stay wrapped up and comfortable, but it wouldn't do to be so unprofessional with a subordinate, even though said subordinate has already caught him sleeping.

When he reaches for the tea, the blanket is swept behind his back, the ends caught in the crooks of his elbows, as a compromise. "Have you finished the research I asked for on.." He realizes he can't remember what he asked Elias to look into for him, though he knows it was important, so he covers his memory loss by bulling on, "Have you finished the research I asked you to do?"

"Yessir," Elias replies, fingers laced demurely in front of him, "I've also brought the information Peter's found, but Tim's not back yet, and Sasha's computer still seems to be on the fritz, so she hasn't got anything quite yet."

He grunts his annoyance, making a dismissive gesture.

Elias leaves, and in the logic of dreams, when the door closes, he is Elias walking away from Jon's office, looking at Sasha--too long and spindly at her desk, and Peter with his feet up on his own desk, playing with a boat and a toy octopus. They, like Elias, are John's assistants. Tim's desk is empty, but he'll be back.

He plucks the boat out of Peter's hands, making him look up and yelp his annoyance, "That's mine!"

"We have work to do," he primly replies, then pushes Peter's feet off the desk, "So get to it."

Peter gets up to stand over him, and their surroundings change as the taller man moves. They are in Elias's office and Elias is now Martin, eye to eye with Peter. He feels very small, in spite of the fact that they are the same height. Peter flirtatiously catches his shoulders, "Surely there's a little time for a break, hmm?"

There is a thrill of fear running through Martin, making him tremble.. There is also an excitement and a frustration that makes him grab at Peter, kissing him hard and feeling his delighted laughter. He is warm and too real under Martin's hands, experience fleshing out the experience in ways a dream could not. Peter's laughter frustrates him further, and Martin vindictively bites his lip, hard enough to make him bleed.

He becomes Jon again, flinching away from Elias with blood on his mouth, his hands on Elias's shoulders uncertain if they are pulling Elias closer or shoving him away. Elias's arms tighten around his waist and his elbows bend, allowing Elias to hold him close in spite of himself. Elias murmurs dark reassurance in his ear, breath hot and voice low in a way that makes him shiver and bare his neck as offering.

The door bursts open, and Melanie charges at Elias with a knife, her eyes ferocious, her teeth bared in a feral grimace. It occurs to Jon as he watches her come that things are speeding towards their conclusion now.

Then he is Melanie, trying to kill Elias and more angry than she has ever been before in her life. Jon is nowhere to be seen, but it's not as though there is time to look for him. Elias is too fast and too strong, durable enough that cutting him barely makes him bleed. It's a terrifying fight for her life that she knows she must win.

In the manner of dreams, Elias manages to escape to the archives with her chasing him. They are high over the archive in a way they cannot be over the real one. Jon is below them, painstakingly digging Daisy out of a grave that isn't deep enough for her to need the help she seems to. Melanie knows that Daisy is stronger than this, but can only think it for a moment. She's still fighting Elias, after all.

Jon looks up as Elias and Melanie come tearing through the archive, and Basira darts over to Daisy like she's been waiting for an opportunity. Then she is Basira with both hands firmly planted on Daisy's shoulders, pushing while Daisy claws at the surface. They fall through the floor into the tunnels beneath, hidden from prying eyes and safe, curled together and in love. Daisy reverently removes her headscarf, making her blush and laugh, burying her face in Daisy's neck, which smells of earth and blood.

There is a swoop and the lens of the dream watches Daisy and Basira for a moment before whizzing away to follow Jon as he walks up the stairs to Elias's office. He becomes Martin again, sitting in Elias's seat as Jon walks into said office, looking disdainful and annoyed.

"Close the door, Jon," Martin instructs, careless and amused. Jon obeys, but resentfully, like he's made a choice he doesn't like and won't change. Martin gets up to crowd him against the door for a kiss. There should be a scar on Jon's lips, but the scar is on Martin's instead, and he feels lightheaded.

Martin wakes up with a start. He is in bed, overly warm, with a heavy arm stretched across his waist. He scrubs at his eyes and looks to see who is sharing his bed.

Peter. Peter Lukas. No wonder he's so overheated. Peter's bed is large and soft enough to consume a person. Plus, with two large men under the blanket, it makes sense to be too hot.

Martin slumps back against his pillow, trying to decide if his deeply strange dream was worth getting up for. He thinks about kissing Jon. He thinks about Jon kissing him back. He doesn't cry.


End file.
